Toy or game apparatus.



No. 699,490. Patented May 6, I902.

C. H. BUXTON.

TOY 0B GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed. Oct. 12, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT CHARLES HOWARD BUXTON, OF NEENAH, W'ISCONSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,490, dated May 6, 1902.

Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,467. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it Wtay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HOWARD BUX- TON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Neenah, in the county of Vinnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Toy or Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

This invention relates to a device for af fording amusement and also for providing practice in digital dexterity. By its means it may be said, with more or less correctness, that a ball can be made of itself to roll uphill. It involves two round or rounding rods or bars hingedly connected together and adapted to be used with a ball, so that upon certain Inanipula-tion the hall may be caused to roll up the rods or bars when inclined. I,

This specification is a specific description of one form of the invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a half-section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the invention.

a indicates the two bars, which are preferably tapered, as shown, and connected together at their small ends by a hinge b of any form desired, here shown to be a sheet of flexible material cemented or otherwise fastened to the ends of the bars. At their large ends the bars a are formed with heads 0, having plane sides matching together, said sides being formed with cavities c, which when the heads are engaged, Fig. 3, come together to form a seat for the ball.

d indicates the ball. The heads a are eX tended at their lower sides, so that these extensions resting on the supporting-surface will cause the bars to lie inclined. This inclination is increased by the taper of the bars.

In using the device when the bars are closed (moved together) the ball will roll down to the position shown in Fig. 2. Now by moving the bars apart the ball will roll downward and also towardthe high ends of the bars. This movement of the ball should be allowed to continue until the ball reaches or nearly reaches the horizontal centers of the bars, whereupon the bars should be quickly moved together. The rounding surfaces of the bars acting on the spherical sides of the ball give the latter an upward impulse and also an impulse toward the high ends of the bars, and if the closing movement of the bars is executed at the proper moment and with proper sharpness or quickness the ball will roll up into the cavities c, which come together to receive it. -By tapering the bars a the upward movement of the ball is facilitated and increased, since as the ball nears the free ends of the bars it rolls across curves of gradually-increasing radius. the ball a greater fall with respect to the top edge of the bars without allowing the ball to drop completely from the bars, and consequently a more forcible impulse may be given to the ball by bringing the bars together in the manner explained above.

Thedevice may be made in any size desired and used on a table or other like surface or, if desired, a special frame provided for it.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to without-departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of two rounding bars arranged to move toward and from each other at one end, for the purpose specified, said bars having heads at their free ends formed with matching cavities to receive a ball.

2. The combination of two rounding and tapered bars hinged together at one end, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of two rounding bars, hinged together at one end, for the purpose specified, said bars having heads at their free This allows ends, which heads are extended downward In testimony whereof I have signed my' to bear on the supportingsurface and hold name to this specification in the presence of 10 the bars inclined. two subscribing witnesses. I

4. The combination of two rounding bars hinged together at one end, for the purpose CHAS HOWARD BUXTON' specified, said bars having heads at their free Witnesses: ends formed with matching cavities to receive PHILIP I-I. REILLY, :1 balls W. S. WARNOCK. 

